With the arrival of spring we expect many things. We know that with the warmer weather comes the blossoming of flowers and blooming of leaves. As the final snowfall melts and the clouds part for a warmer sun, we know that soon college campuses will be filled with students taking study breaks, playing catch or tossing a Frisbee.
But with the many wonderful sights that springtime brings, many people neglect the most beautiful gift offered by the warmer weather. It’s not the tanner skin, or free toes, it’s not the plentiful barbeques or afternoons spent having a picnic.
Springtime happiness is summed up in one word: hammock.
While the many pastimes that coincide with the arrival of March are spent outside, none fully encapsulate the same boundless possibilities that can be found swinging in a portable hammock.
Looking to spend the afternoon reading your favorite book? Your favorite characters, favorite scenes, favorite quotations and favorite author just got a little better from a snug spot in your hammock.
Trying to write that essay that’s due for class tomorrow? I’ll have you know that a laptop sits perfectly on your lap when sitting at the angle offered exclusively by a hammock.
Want to spend the afternoon playing Frisbee, volleyball, or catch with your friends? Nothing offers a more opportunistic location to catch your breath than from the comfy seat of a hammock.
Whether you spend your time outside by the ocean or mountains, there is no environment that a hammock is not suitable in.
As if the versatility of its use isn't enough, the latest generation of hammockers have taken the game to a whole new level, both vertically and metaphorically. Whether it be stacking up ENO's or hanging cliffside, we get a whole new view the higher we take our hammocks.
From my experience, the happiest people are the ones found hanging in an oak tree on a weekday afternoon. They’re the ones that find the most joy in the simplest things. Never hasty to rush away a moment, these people are able to take a beautiful spring day and have that be enough.
The people you find in hammocks know that there’s no music better than the breeze against tree leaves. Despite what the college status quo may argue, they know that there’s no better way to spend a Saturday night than with a few friends, no clouds, and a lot of stars.
Maybe it’s being completely swallowed by nature, or maybe it’s just having a little time to sit and think (something that’s hard to find lately) that makes hammocking so important.
Regardless of what the reasoning is, there’s no doubt that spending a spring afternoon quite literally hanging out with friends is good for the soul. With constant distractions like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat, we're more eager to embrace where we are because of it a good geotag as opposed to its great view.